Welcome to the Literary Festival’s History Day, which will take place in the remarkable surroundings of Waverley Abbey – where the first Cistercian monastery in Britain was built, the ruins of which can still be seen today. Together, four renowned history writers, Louise Morrish, Dr Alison Weir, Dr Nicola Tallis and Damien Lewis, will bring the past to life. Ticket price includes attendance to all three sessions on the day day and includes lunch as well as tea and coffee.
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Ticket price includes lunch, tea and coffee
10am – 11am Louise Morrish
11am – 12pm Break and book signing
12pm Alison Weir and Nicola Tallis Royal Blood: Treason and Tragedy in Tudor England – Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey
1pm – 2.30pm Lunch and book singing
2.30pm Damien Lewis
2.30pm – 3.30pm Book signing
Louise Morrish – In HerStory, Louise introduces the stories of the women who inspired her to write ‘Women of War’ (and its sequel, ‘The Library of War and Peace’). Louise will begin by bringing the adventures of Dorothy Lawrence back into the light, illustrating her brave and tragic efforts to become a journalist during the First World War. Louise will then describe the extraordinary endeavours of Dr Louisa Garrett Anderson, who pioneered the first all-female-run military hospital in France, with her life partner Dr Flora Murray. In ‘Women of War’, Louise reimagines the lives of these women, and have their paths cross. She then explains how Louisa and Flora continued their work in London during the latter part of the war, setting up a new military hospital in Endell Street. Here, they created a library, and bibliotherapy was used for the first time to help cure soldiers’ trauma. Being a librarian herself, this fascinated her, and was another reason why she wrote the novels.
Dr Alison Weir and Dr Nicola Tallis – The execution of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII`s second queen, in 1536 was unprecedented in the annals of English history. It was sensational in its day, and has since exerted endless fascination in the minds of historians, novelists, dramatists, poets, artists and film-makers ever since. Anne was condemned for adultery with five men, one her own brother, and plotting the King`s death. Mystery surrounds the circumstances leading up to her arrest. Alison Weir tells the story of one of the most tragic, cataclysmic and romantic episodes in history, and examines the circumstances of Anne’s fall. Hers is a thoroughly gripping story, and at its centre is one of the most charismatic, controversial, courageous and tragic heroines in history.
Damien Lewis is one of the most popular WWII historians, selling several million copies of his books in 40 countries. For decades he worked as a war and conflict reporter for the world’s major broadcasters, reporting from across Africa, South America, the Middle and Far East and winning numerous awards. His books include the World War Two classics The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Hunting the Nazi Bomb, SAS Nazi Hunters, SAS Ghost Patrol, SAS Italian Job, SAS Band of Brothers, Many of his books have been made into movies or TV drama series or adapted as plays for the stage.
